TEHRAN – Iran’s judiciary announced on Tuesday that a civil court in Tehran has issued a verdict ordering the U.S. government, senior American officials, and affiliated institutions and individuals to pay more than $22 billion in damages for their support of riots in Iran in 2022.

Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said the ruling followed hearings on a lawsuit filed by 607 families of those Iran identified as martyrs and victims injured during the 2022 protests. The plaintiffs sought material, moral, and punitive damages.

The court found that U.S. financial, material, and moral support for rioters violated Iranian sovereignty and 

international law. The ruling cited multiple domestic laws, including Iran’s civil code, counter-terrorism and counter-sanctions legislation, and statutes allowing Iranian courts to hear civil claims against foreign governments.
The judgment orders compensation for several categories, including billions in material and moral damages for the families of the deceased, payments for 25 individuals with serious injuries, punitive damages exceeding $30 billion, accrued interest until enforcement, and all legal costs.
The riots erupted in September 2022 after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained for violating Iran’s dress code for women.  
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the riots were orchestrated by the United States and Israel, aided by paid agents and some Iranians abroad.